


Goddess of Empty

by Jenbrait



Category: RWBY
Genre: AU, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Human in Disguise, I have a beta!, OC insert, Starts canon at Vol 6, Will add tags when I come up with witty stuff that won't spoil
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenbrait/pseuds/Jenbrait
Summary: Before light, before dark, there was empty. The God's older sister fell into a deep sleep after saving humanity from a disaster. When she finally wakes up the world is much different than she remembers and her brothers are nowhere to be found. Needing answers she takes on a human form, dons the name Agatha and seeks to learn what happened and set things right. Cross-post on fanfiction.net as Pokeloon 15.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. Coming to Form

When I first woke there seemed to be nothing. Just a barren wasteland. This only lasted about 20 seconds before another being quickly appeared. One made of golden light. Not long after, another being came into existence. This one made of a darker color.

These two were my brothers. The God of Light and The God of Darkness. I am the oldest of the three. The Goddess of Empty. The three of us looked at the wasteland surrounding us and Light decided to do something about it.

He made plants, water, cute little things he called animals. It was pretty amazing. Dark didn't agree though. He made things like fire and drought, trying to destroy all of Light's work. And yea the fire was nice. Kinda warm and comfy so long as you don't get too close but the rest seemed a bit much. Light wasn't deterred though. He just started over.

Sometimes the two would get into actual fights. Which I would quickly put a stop to. I didn't want any of us to fight, but these two were polar opposites so it was near impossible to keep the peace. Then one day Dark decided to make animals of his own. Very dark, destructive, bloodthirsty animals. He called these Grimm. That was when I put my foot down.

"Alright enough is enough! You two keep going on like this we'll most likely blow up this giant rock we're living on and then who knows what will happen next." I shouted at them. Light looked at me with a raised eyebrow while Dark just scoffed.

"It's not like I see you contributing to making this world dear sister." I simply turned to him with a bright expression.  
"On the contrary. I have a little something in mind, but I'm going to need both your help on this. It could be our masterpiece."  
"What do you have in mind sister?" Light asked. I quickly raised my hands and a form similar to ours (but without the horns) appeared.   
"I'm thinking of calling these humans," I explained. "Their form is similar to ours but will be rather weaker and will only live for a good 80 plus years depending on how their lives go. They're just missing some key elements."

Light then stood next to my creation. "Yes. They shall be granted the ability to create. As well as the ability to learn about the things around them."  
Dark then came up. "We should also grant the ability to destroy. And the ability to choose which path they want to take."

I couldn't stop the smile on my face as my brothers were finally agreeing on something. And so together we created humanity. I can't wait to see how this turns out.


	2. Humanity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeline: Approximately two months before Ozma rescues Salem.

"Thank you so much for your help young lady. May the Gods and Goddess bless you," an elderly woman said to me as I returned her granddaughter to her. I had found the poor child crying in the market after she wandered a bit too far and had gotten lost.

I simply smiled and nodded. "You are welcome and the same to you." Of course, what they didn't know was that I was the Goddess of Empty. Unlike my brothers who keep to themselves in their own domain on the surface (mine was underground to help maintain balance), I had decided to wander around and interact with humanity on a daily basis to see how they were doing. However, I needed to do so in disguise as when I'm in my true form people either are intimidated by me or try to attack me for one reason or another. It's a bit of a bother so I use my powers to take on various human appearances and blend in with the crowd.

Right now I was donning lengthy red hair, blue eyes, lightly tanned skin, and was wearing a modest dress. With a final goodbye to the two, I made my way back through the market simply taking in everything.

My brothers and I really have created something truly wonderful. Humans were just so fascinating. Despite my creating them I hardly know much about them as they took on their own identities. Many different kinds of them. A majority of them were kind souls like the two I just saw. Some were more withdrew and quiet. And some were just plain cruel and vicious. Those kinds of people were usually brought down by heroes. Made my heart swell. 

A yawn came out interrupting my thoughts. One of the side-affects of taking on a human form is that I require a lot of the same thing humans require to keep them going. Such as food or sleep. I don't mind needing food. It's really tasty and I would have eaten in my true form even if I didn't need it.   
Sleep was another thing. Sure it was refreshing and a nice way to kill time, especially when everyone is done for the day. But whenever I fall asleep I get these weird visions. The humans call them dreams. And lately, I've been having the same one.

A giant rock would come down from space. It looked like it would end everything should it collide with Earth. I would suddenly rush to the rock, briefly turning around to see my hopelessly reach out towards me. That's when I would wake up. Trying to catch my breath and sweating.

I didn't tell my brothers about these visions. I'm honestly not sure what they'll even think of the situation, nor did I want to worry them. Though it looks like I'm going to have to. 

The ground around me starts shaking. The sky had darkened despite it being early morning. We all look to the sky and lo and behold, a giant rock was on a crash course with us. I quickly weaved my way around the panicked mass trying to find a safe spot to transform into my dragon form. Once I did I flew up to a mountain top to try and figure out what to do. Light and Dark joined me soon after.

"If this keeps up everything we have created will be destroyed," Light said in a rather hushed voice.

"If either one of you has suggestions I'm all ears," Dark said looking towards us. I looked over the rock with critical eyes. A single point of impact in the dead center would...

Oh, so that's what my dream meant.

Without a second thought, I rushed towards the meteor glancing back once to see my brothers reach out to me in their humanoid form much like in my dream. I looked back towards the meteor and let my powers coat over me like armor.

It must have been an instant but it felt like forever. Flying pieces of rubble scraped my skin before quickly healing. The pressure coming down on my smaller form. Eventually, though, I was able to come out the other side intact. The same could not be said for the meteor as it fell down to Earth in much smaller pieces that procced to burn up in the atmosphere.

I flew back down to the ground and transformed into my humanoid form as my brothers rushed towards me. I collapsed on my knees. The rest of my body following soon after. I could barely breathe. I had trouble keeping my eyes open.

"Sister! Are you alright?" Light asked as Dark held me in his arms.

I shook my head. "Looks like I overdid it," I laughed. "I'll recover but it's gonna take quite a while. Do me a favor. Look after the humans for me. I know you wish to leave them to their own devices. And I'm not asking you to solve all their problems. But promise me that you won't let them screw each other over. That nothing bad will ever happen to them."

My brothers nodded. "We promise," they said. 

I smiled and allowed my form to be swallowed up by the Earth to where my realm resides deep below the crust.

Little did I know that the would I would wake up to would be far, FAR different than the one I had just left behind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are always appreciated. Please subscribe so you'll know when the next update is. See you all in the next chapter and stay awesome.


	3. What Did I Miss?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my beta AuthorA97

It was hard to tell how long I had been asleep. Clocks weren’t exactly a thing that existed in my version of a nap. The rest had done me well, I would admit, but something wasn’t right. At the very least I had expected my brothers to sense my return and come and greet me but they weren't there.

I wandered around the forest a little bit before I heard a growl. It was starting to feel like I was the only thing in here. My feelings of solitude brought several Grimm over, but they weren’t even a challenge to take down. Through none of that did my brothers appear. Dark would have a reason to hide because I wanted to yell at him for letting Grimm so close to humanity. He had promised to keep them as far apart as possible! 

After taking down the Grimm that tried attacking me, I instead focused my powers on finding my brothers. Their presences were nowhere to be found on this planet. Even the planet itself felt very different. I looked up to the sky trying to clear my thoughts...

...

...

_ WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO THE MOON?! _

It was shattered on one side with pieces of it just slowly but surely floating away. I needed answers. Shifting into human form, I went in search of some kind of civilization. If my brothers were no longer on Earth, it wasn’t safe to draw attention to myself.

After a while of walking I found myself in a large...village, I guess would be the term? But the place was huge! The mountains were carved out to house numerous buildings. Stalls of all kinds were in the streets. One such stall caught my attention. The woman there was selling what looked to be crystals.

Walking over to the stall I picked one up to examine it. It was warm to the touch, a certain power emitting from it. It wasn't magic. It was something else.

"Uncut fire dust. Imported straight from the Schnee Dust Company," the merchant explained. "I've got quite the sale for that if you're interested."

_ Dust? What company? _

My question must’ve shown on my face. The merchant was looking at me like I was supposed to know what she was talking about. 

Rather than look stupid, I put the crystal back down and smiled at her. "No thanks, just browsing," I said. The merchant then bid me farewell. So I went around to search the rest of how humanity has grown while I slept.

As I examined the city I came to realize something. No one was using magic. Could they not use it anymore? I'm so confused. Whatever happened must have happened a long time ago and humanity has long since adapted. My nap had taken a lot longer than expected. I wasn't going to get my answers anytime soon.

I leaned against a wall trying to figure out my next move when a couple came out of the building. The woman was crying. Her husband was trying to comfort her. "It's going to be okay sweetheart. Even if we can't make kids of our own we can always adopt." He told her. He kept giving her assurances, though they seemed to be lost in the woman’s own sobs.

That gave me an idea. In this adult form I'm currently donning I won't learn what has happened easily. Not unless I reveal who I truly was. However, I couldn't bring myself to do it right now. So much has changed. Everything is so different. Would the humans even accept me again that easily? No, I needed to find my brothers first and hear what has happened from them.

As an adult trying to find these answers I would deem as either an idiot or crazy...but as a child. Children don't know anything at first. They are given the chance to learn everything around them with no judgment.

_ If these two people want a child so bad then I shall bless them one. All of our problems will be solved. _

I quickly went around the corner to change my appearance. One cute little adoptable girl coming right up. My body changed to that of a five-year-old. My hair became longer and auburn. Though human clothing had changed a lot, there had been some children running about the stalls that showed me a decent wardrobe change. There were bits of dirt and grime added to me and the clothes, and my hair was dirtied too. For all intent, I looked like a street child.

Unfortunately, the light I produced to change my appearance was spotted by the weeping couple so I had little time to prepare for them finding me.

The woman gasped at my ragged appearance. She approached me like she was scared I would run off if startled- like a wounded animal. "Hello there, little one. Are you lost?" She asked me.

I pretended to be scared and looked around nervously before I turned to the ground.

"Where are your parents?"

At that I shook my head, giving off the impression that I'm an orphan.

Her husband then approached me and knelt beside his wife so they were both eye level with me. "Sweetheart what do you think?" he asked her.

"I think this must be some sort of sign," she whispered to him though I could still hear her. The man nodded in agreement. The two of them smiled down at me with hope in their eyes.

I thought the same. Despite my being a goddess, there were still some things outside my control. Fate is one of them. I feel like I was destined to meet these two. Though deciding to be their child was my choice, one I doubted I would regret.

The woman then held her hand to me. "Why don't you come live with us? We promise we'll take good care of you," she offered.

I smiled brightly and nodded, taking her hand.

"Do you know what your name is?" The man asked me.

I quickly thought for a moment and said the first name that came to me. "Agatha."

My new parents- later introducing themselves as Martha and Dave Griseo took me to my new home and from there I started living my new life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and Kudos are awesome. Hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I will see you all in the next one.


	4. Life of a Human

In the next twenty years, I learned a lot. So much has changed in the time that had passed. My adoptive parents had answered any question I gave to them. 

From what they have said, my brothers and I have all but faded into legend. People still know about us, but no one has claimed to have ever seen my brothers. 

Magic never seems to have existed. There seem to be no records of anyone using magic, and the humans believe it's all fairy tale stuff.

The moon? Always been like that. Nobody had any idea it had ever been whole. Nobody had any clue why it had broken either. 

Dust crystals were much more important than I had thought. Apparently, they were a primary source of energy. Rather than magic, humans used the dust crystals to enhance weapons.

There’s also another species that seems to have been created while I've been under. They were called the Faunus. They were mostly people, only with a distinct animal trait. Though the Faunus were still the same as humans, their differences were vilified by the rest of humanity. A group that was protecting them- the White Fang- had turned into a terrorist group as I had ‘grown-up.’

Thanks to Dark's stupid little pets, there were no longer a vast array of kingdoms. All that was left were scattered villages with a variable survival rate. Of the original large kingdoms, only five remained. Mistral, which is where I'm at now. Vacuo, which is to the west. Vale to the east. Menagerie to the south (which is more like a separate continent). And finally, Atlas to the north with the city of Mantle below it. 

Though the logic of living on a giant ice rock that floats escapes me. Humans are nothing if not persistent.

I've also learned about aura and semblances, which most people have in place of magic. Just about everyone has their aura unlocked as they grow, which is like a thin shield around your body. But not everyone unlocks their semblances. The few that do train to take on Dark’s pets.

The Huntsmen and Huntresses. 

I've decided to take on this role. Not only will it help me travel the world to figure out what happened with Light and Dark, but it also makes people really happy when their loved ones are protected. I like seeing people smile, and if I can find a way to protect that, then I would. Until I could locate my brothers, it would be better to hide amongst the humans as a protector.

While my parents were naturally concerned with me wanting to take such a dangerous position, they were supportive. Dad even helped me make my weapons. Duel tonfas I've named  _ Yin and Yang _ . The inside of the tonfas was hollowed out a little, and the handles had vials of dust that I can rotate with at the top of the handle and then press the button in the center to shoot off the rounds.

I also came up with my own semblance. Being a goddess came with its own powers, so if I did it right, they could appear like a semblance. I can create a black ball in each of my hands. When thrown at a Grimm, it can expand and capture them. Clenching my hands into fists shrinks the orbs, sending the Grimm inside...well, I’m not exactly sure. It either sends them into the void or disintegrates them.

This ability had come up when fighting with my father. We had been training on the outskirts of the kingdom when a Beowolf appeared. To protect my father, I used this power. Given that I hadn’t shown any semblance abilities yet, I just rolled with it.

Or maybe one had? Again, I’m not exactly sure. Weird dreams have started coming to me.  _ The future dreams,  _ as I've started calling them. Apparently, that vision with the meteor was not a one-time thing. It's not constant, either. I do occasionally have normal dreams. It’s just every now and again, something in my dreams would happen in real life. Though in the process of that, I usually end up saving someone’s life and getting injured myself. Thanks to my aura, though, it's never been too severe.

Otherwise, I've lived a pretty normal human life. I attended Haven when I came of age. My teammates were pretty cool. Together we were Team Scampi- or SCAM. Samantha, Cho, and Marik stuck with me through thick and thin during our years. We even made it to the singles round at the Vytal Festival tournament in our third year. Marik took our team to third place.

Sad to say, though, we kind of split up after we graduated. There was still so much to know of the world, and I found out all I could from Mistral, so I had to find my answers elsewhere. My teammates wanted to stay in the kingdom and protect the borders. We respected each other's decisions, thankfully. Even though it was upsetting to part ways with them. I wondered how they would feel if they found out who I truly was. If they lived long enough for me to tell them, that is.

The next three years I spent in Vale doing odd huntsmen jobs. There was still no signs of my brothers, or the ‘Hidden Past’ as I've come to dub it.

The next two years found me in Vacuo when something terrible happened. 

Someone launched a terrorist attack on Vale during the Vytal Festival, and Beacon fell. With everything being broadcast, the negativity was all over the place. I stuck around as long as I could to help out with the Grimm, which took a few months, but I wanted to go back to Mistral to check in with my folks and my old team. By then, though, there weren't any airships left, so I had to take a boat to Anima then walk the rest of the way, which took another four months.

Thank the stars everyone I was close to was alright for better or worse. My old team had been there too- what a terrible time for a reunion. Samantha got some serious injuries during the initial fall out of the festival, but otherwise, she was alive. My other two teammates came out with just a few scrapes, and the Grimm didn't go beyond the borders, so my parents were alright as well.

As I took a couple of weeks to recover from my voyage, some more bad news dropped with a sprinkle of good news to go with it.

The bad news was that the same people who attacked Beacon went after Haven in a more subdued attack, and Professor Lionheart perished, trying to defend his school. The good news was that Gihrah Belladonna, the Chieftain of  Menagerie, had learned about the attack ahead of time through a White Fang member who had reformed (the White Fang was also helping the attack on Haven) and had gathered a small group of Faunus to help the school. I heard a friend of the headmaster who was visiting along with some students also helped out. 

It really is nice to see humans persevere through such tragedy even at such a young age.

It had been about two weeks since then, and I have been trying to figure out what to do next. On the one hand, I still had my life mission. On the other, two schools have been attacked, and there's no doubt the other two will be targeted as well. Something was going on in the shadows, and I wanted to find out what. The only clue I had, though, was the headmaster's old friend, but I had no idea who he was. That put me back at square one.

The decision was thankfully taken away from me. My mom came up to me with a request. Her sister was about to go into surgery that could take a few months in the hospital. My mom wanted to give her this new book to help my aunt pass the time. Unfortunately, both she and my dad are busy with work with everything that's been going on, and my aunt lives in Argus, so I've been asked to bring the book to her. 

This wound up being the best decision I've made as I wind up meeting some important people. They helped me find my answers...for better or worse.


	5. Grimm on a Train

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my beta AuthorA97

"Thank you very much, Miss, and have a safe trip.” The ticket seller said politely.

Accepting my ticket, I thanked him. Walking away, I stepped into a restroom. Living a human life meant having some human drawbacks. After that, I washed my hands. My eyes glanced at my mortal form, thinking about how different I looked than before. Some changes came from ‘age’ that I added; they looked perfectly fine. 

The Huntress style suited me well. There was a white tank top with yellow, black, and grey splatter designs. The shirt reminded me of my brothers when I first saw it- it felt good having some part of them with me. With the shirt, I added a black leather jacket. The jacket matched well with my pigtailed auburn hair. The body was short- five feet, the black sneakers not adding to my overall height. The short stature was helpful in fighting the Grimm. My skin tight leggings were helpful too.

Satisfied with my appearance, I smiled at my reflection. Drying off my hands, I popped my grey wireless headphones back over my ears. Music began playing from them. I swear music was the greatest thing humanity has ever created, and I like to listen to it whenever I can.

As I made my way out, I got knocked over by a blur of...rose petals? It was moving too fast for me to figure it out. They shouted an apology as they dashed away. Though my time here in this time was short, I knew flowers hadn’t evolved to talk. Semblances were so amazing.

"Hey, Ruby! Slow it down, will you!?" An older guy called out towards the rose petals. He shook his head at them, a fond smile betraying any frustration. He knelt down towards me to help me up. "Are you alright?" He asked.

For some reason, he seemed familiar.

"No harm was done,” I replied as I brushed myself off.

Still, the guy seemed to feel really bad. "I'm sorry about my niece. She's really energetic.” He said.

"As I said, It’s no big deal,” I assured him.

The man nodded, making his way over to a group of school-age kids. The red blur manifested to a girl in a bright red cloak. She was talking happily with her friends. I wonder how often she could turn into that flower petal form. Was it a speed semblance, or an emotion triggered Semblance? Most likely speed by how fast she was going before bumping into me. She was speaking so fast to her friends that I’m surprised she didn’t shift again.

I smiled and made my way to an empty bench. Popping my headphones back on, I let myself enjoy the music. The train came, so I boarded. The large group of kids and the uncle joined along. Maybe then I would find out how that man was familiar. It was nagging at my mind- it _had_ to be important.

The first half of the trip went smoothly, but of course, my youngest brother's pets just had to come and ruin everything. 

Typical. He would probably enjoy hearing he ruined his sister’s relaxation. Then again, so would my other brother.

Pulling off the headphones, I sighed. As I searched for the exit to enter the fight, I noticed the kids were climbing out of the train towards the roof. They were joining the fights? They were kids, barely ready to become Hunters and Huntresses. This was probably just a trip or vacation for them; they would need help. 

When I got there, the first kid I noticed was dressed more for farm work than for hunting Grimm. Still, he rushed to the fight.

As the rest of us rushed to catch up to him, a girl in pink asked, "Why is it always something?"

"One of life's greatest mysteries.” I joked.

Apparently, they hadn't noticed me till then because the blond one next to me called out in surprise. “Hey, who are you?”

“Name's Agatha,” I replied as I pulled out Yin and Yang. “And we’ve got bigger issues right now.”

The kids all brought out their weapons. The fighting began.

The older man I talked to earlier was fighting a Manticore, and I noticed the sword he had turned into a scythe. That's when I realized who he was. Qrow Branwen. Lone huntsmen like us had a bit more of a reputation than teams, but this guy was in a league of his own.

As he was busy with the Manticore, another one landed behind him. The creature folded its wings. That allowed me to use my Void semblance. The orbs can only grow so big, so it's pretty much useless with their wings out. Once it was gone, Qrow then noticed me.

"Hey, thanks for the assist.” He said. "Agatha Griseo, right?"

My eyes widened in surprise, along with a slight blush on my cheeks. Someone like him knew someone like me. Yeah, I knew about him, too; he was more infamous. I was a much less famous solo Huntress. We fought another Manticore before it, and the Sphinx flew up and away from the train.

"That doesn't seem to be a good sign,” I said.

In agreement with me, a male voice called out. "TUNNEL!"

Qrow and I didn't waste any time sliding down the cars. I also saw the farm boy making it down safely as well. However, the hired huntsmen weren't so lucky and managed to get his arm broken at the wall of the tunnel. The farm boy (who introduced himself as Oscar) helped me get the older man inside.

That's when I noticed the weird keychain thing on his hip. It looked rather old but what surprised me was what I felt coming out of the object. It reminded me a lot like Light's presence. Oscar noticed my staring and diverted my attention back to the injured huntsman. I'd have to ask him about it later.

Qrow and the rest of the kids came in the cart, and Qrow got right up in the injured guy's face, furious about his insistence in using the turrets earlier. Shaking my head at the two, I looked out the window along with the red hooded girl that knocked me over at the station. The Grimm were following us from the tunnel.

I looked away and closed my eyes in thought. Trying to come up with a sort of plan. I could just snap my fingers, and the Grimm would disappear. The humans would be suspicious, though, so that plan was out. There had to be something more discrete.

Thankfully the kids were able to come up with their own plan. One of them had a Semblance that could mask human emotions, and another of their semblance was basically an Aura battery. With their combined powers, they could keep the passengers safe.

That's when Oscar walked over to them and spoke with a different voice. Confused, I used my powers to get a better look inside the kid and...wait a minute.

This kid's got, two souls!? What the hell? Just when I thought nothing else could surprise me.

Anyway, the older...soul...in the kid said, "I'm afraid there's one more complication. The Grimm are also attracted to this." He gestured to the bobble keychain on his hip.

"What exactly is that?" I asked him. 

"Not really important right now, Agatha,” Qrow told me before turning back to Oscar or whoever was controlling him right now.

"Oz, are you serious?"

Oz? Is that the name of the other soul? That name was familiar too. I wanted to ask more, but the kids were yelling again. They were yelling about the importance of the lamp shaped object being kept from them. Like...we had bigger concerns. 

The girl in red was on my side. She was the youngest by the look of them- minus the kid with two souls- but she led like the best of them. She told the younger Huntresses to help the passengers to the front then cut the cars off. This would make it easier for us to fight the Grimm.

"I'll be joining you guys.” I volunteered. I turned to the de facto leader. "My semblance makes me more useful in handling the Grimm."

"It's true. She can make the smaller ones disappear in a snap.” Qrow vouched for me.

It was agreed, and so we got the plan into motion. Along the way, I finally learned everyone's names. The red hood girl was Ruby; the blonde one is her sister Yang, the cat faunus is named Blake, and the final member of their team was Weiss Schnee of all people. I wondered what had happened to her.

The three remaining ones (Jaun, Ren, and Nora) proceeded to the front with the passengers as the rest of us made our way back to the top.

_Time and time again, it seems we reached the point of all our dreams._

_Crumbling all around us, enemies surround us_

The turrets were shut down one by one, and I felt the train jerk as Blake decoupled the carts.

Ruby looked at her scroll, checking the signal before spotting the Grimm coming out from the tunnels. The Sphinx quickly landed on the train.

_Every step, it seems has led us further from our goals instead._

_Our triumphs haven't mattered. Drifting ever backwards_

_And we're running out of time_

"NOW!" Ruby shouted into the scroll so that the team in front can do their part of the plan.

_Nowhere near the finish line_

_And it's growing ever clear_

_That a reckoning is near_

I moved to help Qrow with the Sphinx, but he held me back.

"I can keep him busy while you guys and the kids take care of the small fries.” He told me.

_And we have to make a choice_

I wanted to argue. That Spinx was tough, but there were more of the Manticores. And Qrow could handle himself. Plus, that look on his face meant that he wasn't backing down. 

_Is this path right?_

_Or is it made of lies?_

I made my way back to Oscar. He seemed the least experienced out of the three of us- two souls or not. I shot more fire dust at the one behind him. When it came towards me and landed in front of me, I shot a void sphere and destroyed it for good.

_We're looking in ourselves_

_And trusting in the light_

_A miracle is all we need_

_But there isn't one in sight_

Everything went by in a blur. Dust rounds were shot. Rose petals and dark orbs were flying everywhere. Finally, the Sphinx was all that was left, and Qrow was starting to struggle. Ruby, Weiss, and I ran up to it. Ruby and I started to shoot at it. 

"So how do we handle this one?" I asked.

Ruby thankfully had a plan. "We need to ground it." It wasn’t discrete compared to my powers, but it was a lot more effective.

Blake and Yang quickly took care of that by wrapping Blake's weapon around the Grimm. Then Weiss came in front of it and froze both of its wings and its tail head. Qrow and Ruby shot the wings while I took care of its tail. The two scythe wielders then finished it off but not before it shot one last fireball on the rail.

Weiss quickly used two Gliffs to stabilize us while the train crashed into the snow. When she disabled her semblance, we slid off the train and fell gently into the snow.

As we brushed ourselves off, Qrow called out, "Is everyone alright?"

"We're good,” Ruby called out who was next to Weiss.

"I'm fine,” Blake said, checking on Yang, who seemed fine.

"Not dead yet.” I joked, checking up on Oscar, who was also okay.

"Still alive!" An unknown voice called out to us. We all turned around and found a little old lady with what seemed to be high tech goggles for eyes coming out of one of the carts. "That sure was a close one.” She said casually.

Well, that just happened.

**Crescent Roses fold out from sniper form to scythe form. Ruby slashes out with it. Blake jumps down next to her. Yang arrives next. Weiss rises up and unleashes a snowstorm.**

_Stay close_

_Move fast_

**The full moon shatters.**

T _he darkness cannot last_

**At the train station. Qrow, Oscar, and Ren are sitting on a bench. Nora hugs Ren from behind. Jaune is standing up next to them. His shield accidentally unfolds, knocking the magazine Oscar was reading onto Qrow's head, waking him up. Qrow looks at Jaune, annoyed, while the latter smiles apologetically.**

**In a wagon, Ruby is happily chasing Weiss. Yang and Blake sit at a table, looking dejected.**

_No hope no path_

**Yang imagens Adam's face in the window**

_But we have a dream to catch_

**Outside of the train, a Grimm flies past it.**

_And we can not wait._

**Qrow and Ruby are in a snowy field where they meet up with Maria and Agatha.**

_Trust the way we're made_

**Qrow takes a drink from his flask before he is pulled back by Imp arms.**

_The sparrows born to fly the mountains tower_

**Red eyes appear in a cave before Imp arms reach out to Ruby and Agatha, who fight them off with their scythe and tonfas, respectively.**

**In a rainy city, a hooded woman is surprised when a bowler hat flies by.**

_The river flows beneath the sea._

**Adam is standing in front of the White Fang banner by his throne.**

_The rain will held the flowers be_

_We're the same you and me_

**Salem watches Tyrian, Watts, Hazel, Emerald, and Mercury from her crystal ball. Blue flames erupt from her eyes as she proceeds to scream.**

_The lighting doesn't take advice from anyone_

**A human Salem stands in front of a statue of Ozma.**

_The willow doesn't need to learn to stand_

**Several versions of Ozma are shown before leading to Ozpin, who fades to Oscar. Jaune then pins Oscar to a wall.**

_As sun seeks day_

**Qrow fights the Sphinx on the train.**

_We'll find our way_

**Agatha uses her Void semblance on several Manticores.**

_And we'll catch that dream together someday soon_

**Team RWBY then fights atop the train: Yang jumps and after landing, punches a Manticore, slides underneath a fireball as she turns into Blake, who then jumps while slicing one of its legs, changes into Weiss in mid-air, who after landing creates a Glyph, lunges into it and thrusts into the Manticore, destroying the Grimm before creating a path of Glyphs towards the Sphinx, which Ruby then runs on (with Yang, Blake, and Weiss jumping from her sides), before jumping on three airborne glyphs and leaping towards the screen.**

_We're rising like the moon_

**Weiss helps Ruby stand in front of everyone.**


	6. Knowing the What but Not the Why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: Mentions of suicide  
> Special thanks to my beta AuthorA97
> 
> On the one hand, Vol. 8 is frying my nerves. On the other, it is motivating me to write this as it would have taken me a lot longer with my normal schedule.  
> Grab some snacks. This is a long one.

Our supplies were scattered all over the snowy field. Train crashes weren’t very considerate in fights to minimize damage, after all. After quickly getting myself together, I agreed to help Yang get her motorbike. The fiery blonde wasn’t hiding her frustration at the situation.

"This is great. This is _just great_ . We're stranded. We've lost a third of our party. And we've gained a _defenseless old lady._ ” Yang complained. She gave a final tug of her bike. Yang and I’s joint efforts were enough to free it. Yang overestimated the power in her last pull, sending her sprawling out onto the snow.

I was able to grab the bike before it fell on Yang. The last thing the Huntress needed was extra bruises for her Aura to heal.

Said defenseless old lady complained at the remark. Maria Calavera insisted that she was just a little hard of hearing and kind of blind with her damaged goggles. Humans were always such fun.

Qrow approached us. "Yang, knock it off.” He told his niece. "If we lose our cool here, we'll just be inviting more Grimm.”

Blake scoffed. “Does that even matter? Apparently, we’ve been attracting Grimm since we left Haven.” When put like that, I can understand how pointless it seemed to keep your emotions in check. Yet, she should consider that we didn’t want to make ourselves bigger targets?

“Oh, and how could I forget about that?! What happened to no more lies and half-truths?” Yang accused, glaring at Oscar.

I briefly wondered which soul she was yelling at. Though, I reasoned, I doubted there were many secrets a boy his age could hide. The other soul must be the one that was receiving Yang’s ire.

Oscar was helping Maria when he was addressed. “Yeah. I think it’s time we got an explanation.” He seemed to be addressing the other soul- Oz. That was curious. I had thought if he was in possession of two souls, he could communicate in his mind rather than out loud. He’s young, though; he could learn.

His eyes flared in a familiar sort of yellow light-

_Light?_

_No, no, it can’t be. My brother wouldn’t be so foolish to use that magic on a human._

The boy’s body language shifted. His shoulders squared back in a confident way that boys his age didn’t have yet. "I did not lie to you.” Oz insisted.

Weiss stood by Yang’s side. I joined, eyeing them all cautiously. “Well, you certainly didn't tell us everything about the relic."

"Relic?" The word slipped from my mouth. The word held little to no meaning beyond what I knew about the word itself. Something told me this wasn’t just a simple sort of relic. This lantern was well maintained, beautiful, and something about it felt so familiar. Magic was pouring out of it. The humans wouldn’t notice- Stars I barely noticed it, weak as I am in my human shape.

The others remembered I was still here. They looked at me with hesitation- like they weren’t sure whether or not to trust me with this information. I understood their concerns; to all except Qrow, I was a stranger. 

Qrow stepped towards me. He gave a quick glance towards Oscar/Oz. The boy gave him a long stare. Qrow must’ve seen something in that face, some microexpression between the two of them because he turned to me. There was a history between Qrow and Oz, one of respect. I reckon the kids were the same, hence their anger at whatever truths Oz kept concealed.

"This is one of the four relics the Celestials left behind to help humanity,” Qrow explained. "People like us are tasked to keep it safe from dangerous hands."

_Wait what?_

_When did my brothers make these things- I don’t remember those ever being a thing. Obviously, they did it after I fell asleep, but why? Why did humanity need help?_

_Why couldn’t they stick around?_

_Why didn’t they wait for me?_

_Why couldn’t they at least give me some kind of sign?_

This could be the opportunity I had waited for, a chance to finally learn what happened to my brothers. The thing that caused them to leave, without as much as a note for me or signal. The magic I was feeling was part of them; maybe it could be used to find them. I wanted to see them so badly. Sure I love my human friends and family, but...these were my brothers. They were with me since the beginning of beginnings. I missed them with every breath, every step in my day, every Grimm I fought as a Huntress, every time I looked up at the broken moon.

Which yeah, I’m still mad about.

This was a chance to learn about my brothers. I wasn’t stupid enough to waste it. I turned to Oz- expecting him to give answers. Everyone was demanding them of him. Only a fool would run now.

“I would like to know everything, Oz,” I stated. Stepping forward, I stared down hard at the little boy with age beyond age behind his eyes. Qrow stepped behind the trio of girls. Ruby took the now empty space at her sister’s side.

“It's true the Grimm are attracted to the relic. It's faint but undeniable.” Oz explained. “I believe it has to do with their origin; I’m not entirely sure. Regardless I felt that telling you would only add anxiety and negativity. It seemed like the safer option."

Not liking the answer myself, I approached the older soul. "If I may interject. We're Huntsmen and Huntresses. Fighting the Grimm is our job." Quickly I turned to the team RWBY and Qrow. “Would it have changed your minds if you knew beforehand that the Relic could attract them?"

"No,” Weiss answered. The group agreed, silently nodding while glaring down at Oz. "And I am _seriously_ getting tired of people deciding what's best for me."

Yang joined in. "Is that why you chose to lie to everyone about Lionheart too?"

"Wait, Headmaster Lionheart? What does he have to do with this?" I asked. What did they mean? Wait, did they know something about the attack on Haven? What was Oz lying about in regards to the Headmaster?

Everyone looked at me unsurely except for Yang, who blurted out. "He helped the people who attacked Haven."

No. He...He wouldn't. Would he? I never knew the headmaster well, but I always thought...he was better than this. He wouldn’t have helped those people; what kind of coward would do that?!

I was starting to get angry, violently so. If we hadn’t just killed off the local Grimm, one would be on us by now. 

Ruby came forward, trying to offer a sense of comfort. Seeing the young face of one so earnest, to see silver eyes full of such sympathy to my inner turmoil, it helped. 

"This is exactly why I did.” Oz was still trying to stick to his lies. I narrowed my eyes at him again. He turned on his heels, arms clasped behind his back. Stars, it looked so pretentious. "I believed the kingdom of Mistral deserved _better_ than the truth. And I believed that Leonardo deserved to be remembered for his lifelong years of service and not the unfortunate missteps he made in his final years."

"Missteps?!" Yang cried out. She and all the rest of us were making a slow walk towards Oz. All of us, tense and angry, still keyed up from fighting Grimm, and now that more things were being revealed.

Meanwhile, I was reeling from just the facts to catch up to this madness. These people, these children and the ones from earlier on the train, this _boy_ housing two souls, they were fighting something. Something beneath the surface of what was happening in the world, working in secret. Something that connected back to my Brothers, to these supposed Relics. Apparently, connected to Headmaster Lionheart and Haven’s attack- what, were other Headmasters involved too? Like Ironwood of Atlas Academy? Or former Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon-

_Oz_

_Ozpin_

_Dear Stars, I am an idiot._

Everything was unraveling so fast I could barely keep up. Looking towards Maria, I saw she was having just as hard a time catching up. Still, she watched all the drama unfold from a safe distance.

“What Professor Lionheart did was reprehensible. I am not here to argue differently.” Oz stated. “But does one lapse in judgment negate all of his good? Do we not all have regrets? You may have _met_ Professor Lionheart, but you _never_ met the man he was before Salem found him.”

I think everyone can agree that one bad deed does not make an evil person. Unless, of course, that evil deed led to a school being destroyed by terrorists and putting people in danger. Or maybe that’s just my singular opinion as a Goddess.

Also _Salem?_

Wait...the name rang a bell...where had I heard that name before...? It was from before I fell asleep. I am sure of that...

“We’re supposed to be in this together!” Yang reminded him. “You can trust us! We’re not gonna turn our backs on you-”

“ _Do you really think Leo was the first?!”_ Oz snapped. He turned around to us, glaring with an enraged look in his eyes that would have been much more terrifying on a grown man.

I reeled back at the vitriol in his voice. The girls and Qrow did as well. Whoever Oz was to them; they were unused to him being angry. We stood behind him in silence. The only sound being the cold breeze brushing my hair back.

“That he didn’t say those _exact same words_ to me?!” Oz snapped again. He braced himself, taking a breath. “I'm sorry, but you _have_ to understand that my behaviors are backed by experience. I'm _not_ saying you'll have any reason to betray me. I'm saying I have a _reason_ for the things I do, the secrets I keep-” He trailed off, eyes darting around the snow behind us. "Where's the relic?"

"Right here." We all turned to see Ruby holding the lamp. "It got scattered in the crash.”

“Please. Hand it over.” Oz instructed. He held out his hand, like a wise mentor towards their pupil.

Ruby wasn’t so convinced. "So all those times you talked about having faith in humanity, that was just for everyone else?" Ruby questioned. It was an excellent question to ask, from where I was standing.

Okay, any question was reasonable. All questions were right. I was so lost, and a lot of this was going over my head. The more they talked, the more I knew about what all happened leading up to the attack on the train and about that Relic. Lucky for me that team RWBY and Qrow were in the dar- _ahem-_ also had questions.

Questions that Oz could and should answer. As a goddess, I had no doubts that at my full power, I could find some way of making him tell me. That was just my fear talking, though, about not finding out the truth of my brothers and past. I kept silent. These kids were resilient; they wouldn’t let Oz stay quiet anymore.

Oz sighed, looking stricken at the implications of Ruby’s question. “That’s not what I meant to suggest. Miss Rose, the Relic is a powerful item, and I simply feel it is my burden to bear.”

“But you said it couldn’t do anything right now.” Ruby reminded him.

“Why does it matter who carries it?” Blake asked, stepping up with Ruby.

Oz seemed to have had enough of Ruby's hesitation. He steeled himself, walking forward. "I need you to listen to me-" He stopped.

A quick check of his inner self showed me the two souls fighting for control. Oscar must be a tough kid to fight off Oz. Surprising, considering how strong Ozpin was back when he was alive- or before he was a spirit- or whatever was going on.

It seemed even Qrow agreed with me.

"Hurry.” Oscar pleaded. "He's trying to stop you."

"Stop her from what?" Yang asked.

"He's afraid you'll find out what he's hiding.” Oscar struggled through every word, spitting them out through clenched teeth. The fight left him all at once, himself falling to his knees. Everyone got ready for an attack.

I stepped forward. Though I was not in my true form, I was still a Goddess. Humans are part of my creation. I couldn’t let one suffer in this way. "What is it, Oscar? What is Oz hiding?" I asked. If Oscar could tell us, Oz wouldn’t keep fighting the poor boy for control. His secret would be exposed. We would all get answers without attacking Oscar. He didn’t need to pay for whatever Oz was doing in his head.

Oscar wheezed painfully. He looked over at Ruby. "Her name is Jinn. Say her name to summon her.”

Ruby looked down at the Relic. The blue glow shined upon her pale cheeks and reflected in those silver eyes. She whispered the name, barely heard over the roaring snow.

Yet, just as I noted this, the snow stopped. The downfall was still there, still looking like it would pick up as it was almost nightfall. The snow simply hung in midair like time had frozen.

But that...that couldn’t be-

I mean, the Relic came from my brothers. It had the capability to freeze time. It just was insulting. Stopping time was one of my things, those jerks!

The lamp in Ruby's hands then started to glow. It floated above her head. Cyan smoke came out, the lamp twirling as it moved away from us. The smoke grew bigger and bigger, forming a shape. A woman appeared. Her skin and hair were the same glowing blue as the Relic. She wore a golden tiara, bracelets, and golden chains around her waist. Other than that chain, she was nude.

_Light, is there something you need to tell me?_

The figure-Jinn, I assume- stretched her arms. "Wonderful.” She smiled down at us. “I am Jinn. A being created by the God of Light to aid humanity in its quest for knowledge."

Okay, magical genie thing helping humans find answers in a magic lamp. I have to say Light, not a bad idea. It didn’t make a lot of sense that a genie was what was attracting Grimm. Or why my brother decided to make her look like _that._ Like, really, what was he thinking?

"I have been granted the ability to answer three questions every hundred years.” She informed us. That’s a benefit. At least Light didn’t make Jinn all-powerful. Humans deserved answers for things, but there can be too much of a good thing. "You’re in luck as I still have-”

"That's enough!" Oz shouted. It seemed he was back in control.

None of us paid him any mind, beyond a glare to quiet down.

"-two questions this era." Jinn finished.

Ruby’s earlier words came back to me. The lamp couldn’t do anything, huh? Oz looked down at the snow, not meeting any of our glares. Could this older spirit even tell the truth? So far, all I heard from him were lies. Really, in better circumstances, I would sympathize with his plight. Right now, I thought...it was a struggle.

Jinn said she could help humans on their quest for knowledge. I was human enough, for now. Any being made by my brothers would totally believe I was human, too, so long as I kept up my cover.

“Please. Don’t do it!” Oz begged of them.

The Huntresses looked none too eager to follow the command.

“Hey-” Qrow tried.

Yang, Blake, and Wiess held their weapons up. I held up mine too. There was information I wanted to know, and nobody was going to stop me. Not even a Hunter that I genuinely respected. All Ruby has to do is ask her question about Oz’s secrets, then I can use the remaining question to find out about my brothers.

I mean, come on, what are the odds that Ruby’s question answered mine too? I doubt Oz’s history or that Salem woman he was talking about or even Professor Lionheart had anything to do with Light and Dark.

Qrow held up his hands. He looked behind us, towards his other niece. “Do whatever you think is right, kiddo."

I looked back at Ruby. The small Huntress looked up at the powerful being.

"Jinn, what is Ozpin hiding from us?"

“NO!” Oz screamed. He leapt out at Ruby.

I was ready to defend her. Before I got the chance, something changed. The frozen snow was gone, as were the others. All I could see was whiteness. Was this a part of Jinn’s magic? Was this how they would get their answers?

Was this bright room just Light showing off?

"Hello!" I called out. "Ruby! Qrow! Jinn!"

She must’ve heard me. I heard her. "Once upon a time, there stood a lonely tower."

Cyan smoke came back, creating scenery. Familiar scenery. I remembered that palace, the tall pink towers, and the yellow brick road leading to it. I knew that palace. 

_I knew that palace._

How? How was it possible that Oz’s secret went this far back? That shouldn’t be possible.

"That sheltered a lonely girl."

Cyan smoke came back. The palace and road vanished, replaced instead with a young woman. She had pale skin, long blonde hair pulled into a half bun, and an elegant yet simple white dress with purple hints and blue gems on the collar.

"Named Salem."

The poor girl, there was no light in her eyes. They were empty, devoid of human emotions like joy or delight. Something was hurting her.

Jinn explained her story. Her father locked her up her whole life, leading her too long for the outside world. While I was furious that someone would do something like that, Jinn noted something that confirmed my suspicions.

The world Salem lived- the _time_ she lived- was the same one as I left after I destroyed that meteorite. Everyone could wield magic, and humans prospered without the worry of Grimm coming to invade.

Salem's life was like one from a fairy tale. I remembered hearing about the maiden locked in the tower- some humans tried asking me to grant them powers to let them inside. I always refused. I knew what they truly wanted. She was a damsel in distress. Where there’s a damsel, there was a Nobel hero ready to save her. I knew the name before Jinn could say it- I remembered hearing rumors about the hero among the Humans. 

_Ozma_

As expected, he helps her escape, and the two fall in love. I must have just missed this. I would’ve heard about this daring escape otherwise.

But a happily ever after was not in the cards.

Ozma had contracted a terrible illness and passed away. Salem did not take this well. 

"How could the Celestials let this happen?" She asked herself, clutching her lover’s staff.

"The Celestials.” Jinn narrated as three orbs, one yellow, one black, and one grey, swirled around me.

_That’s us._

_My Brothers and I, together like we used to be._

"Two brothers of light and dark, creation and destruction, and their sister of nothingness. Not long before all this, the Goddess of Empty saved humanity from a terrible fate, falling into a deep sleep. Her brothers promised to keep humanity safe in her absence." The orb that represented me flew off and faded away, leaving yellow and black ones to swirl down and join together. “Salem prayed that they would see the injustice that had befallen her love, make things right.”

The scene changed to the entrance to Light's domain. Where Salem approached, leaving a bouquet on the steps as an offering. I couldn't stop the tears flowing from my eyes. This poor girl already lost so much. Her one spot of happiness was robbed from her. She looked barely older than when she was freed; no wonder she came to my brothers for aid.

"The Domain of Light was a sacred place. It was here where the elder brother dwelled beside his fountain of life and creation. It was here. That the brother's promise...would be broken."

Wait. What? What did she mean by that? What did they do?!

Before I could overthink that, I saw Salem walk up the stairs. My brother gracefully rose from his pond before my eyes. 

I couldn't stop myself from crying. "Light! I can't believe it after all of this time." I ran over to him only to go right through him.

That's right. This is a vision. He wasn't really there. It shouldn’t hurt this much. I should’ve known it was another illusion. That didn’t make me feel better.

I continued to watch as Salem knelt before him. She begged Light to restore Ozma to her.

My brother refused. "I understand your pain, but you demand of me that of which I cannot make so. Life and death are part of a delicate balance.” He told her.

"So you won't do it then?" Salem realized.

Light tried to explain again, but Salem just screamed, "That's not fair. THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

My heart reached out to her. I wish I were there. I could help her with her pain. Tell her she can keep Ozma alive in her heart and memories, that the two would reunite in the afterlife. In the empty that came after death...Instead, I have to hope that my brother will help her in my stead. That was what I asked of him, after all.

"Let. Him. Rest.” He demanded, and with a swirl of golden leaves, Salem and I found ourselves at the entrance to his domain once more.

My palm instantly met my face.

_No. No Light, that's not how you do this._

_The humans have categorized grief into stages._

_You needed to handle this delicately._

_Given that she has gone to Light for help, I gather she's in the 'Bargaining' stage._

"No.” I heard Salem breathe out. Removing my hand from my face, I saw her eyes narrow and her hands clutching Ozma's staff tighter.

She just slipped into the anger stage.

_Good going, brother!_

I can only imagine what she's going to do now.

Yet what came next still took me by surprise as I found myself in front of Dark's domain.

"The God of Darkness.” I jumped as Jinn continued her narration. "None dared to enter his home as men knew what monsters emerged from his blackened pools of annihilation."

Now that takes me back. I remembered when Dark showed me those pools after we had everything set up. I actually tried sticking my hand in one of these pools to see what it felt like. Absolute pain! That's what it felt like. And in my actual form non the less.

Still, I made sure to visit. He was my brother. Light got a lot of attention. Stars, even I had a small following from the humans. Dark had little to nothing beyond his own creations. 

If I weren’t so worried about what Salem was about to do, I would applaud her courage for meeting my brother.

Jinn started to speak up again, so I turned back into my surroundings. "And so you must understand the Dark Lord's surprise when he found a lone woman kneeling before him."

Dark crawled out of one of his pools, all twisted. He began crawling across his pond; his neck bent back in what would look horrific on a human.

I rolled my eyes— _what a drama god._

Salem did not as much as flinch. She met the eyeless stare of my brother. Salem told him of her tale- saying that only he could answer her prayer. All the while, being careful never to bring up Light.

_Is she trying to trick Dark?_

Jinn’s narration was implying that she was.

What's worse is that he seemed to fall for it. He actually thought he had one over Light and I. He just brought Ozma back to her without consequences. I clenched my fist in anger. Did she really think she could play us for fools?

_This human-_

_This human_ dared _to trick us Gods?_

_Ohhh, if I wasn’t so mad, I would be impressed at the gall._

Thankfully Light showed up at that exact moment. "What have you done?" He asked Dark.

"I have done what I've pleased.” Dark taunted. "You may _bask_ in the powers of creation, but you do not own them, and neither does our sister."

Instead of explaining the situation, Light just started to lecture Dark by killing Ozma, which of course, pissed my youngest brother off, who brought Ozma right back, and the two proceeded to argue. Usually, by now, I step in to keep them from breaking the planet apart. Without me, their anger grew and grew until reaching a peak. They shifted into their dragons’ forms to go on the attack.

By the Stars! Can't these two act like grown-ups for once?

I hadn’t even been gone long at this point. Did it really take that long for them to screw up our planet?

Light then finally informed Dark that Salem came to him first, and Dark set things right by killing Ozma once again. Salem was enraged and tried to attack my brothers. Then everything went black.

When Salem woke up, we found ourselves once again at Light's domain. Salem was falling through the sky before falling into the pond.

Wait, what is Light doing? That pond holds eternal life. What's the point of granting something like that to someone like _her_?

When she eventually reappeared on the surface, my brothers were with her.

"When you first came to me, I did pity you. But it's clear now that your selfishness and arrogance had led you astray.” Light told her.

Selfishness, I agree but arrogance? That was mostly _your_ doing, brother.

Still, she did cause a mess and needed to be punished. She needs to understand the importance of balance.

Curious about how my brothers handled this, I listened closely as Salem asked, "What did you do to me?"

"I have made you immortal.” Light answered.

"Immortal?" Both Salem and I asked. How is this supposed to help her?

"You can not die.” Dark clarified though he was mocking her in his tone. "You cannot be with your beloved."

They then spoke in unison.

_"So long as this world turns, you shall walk its face."_

Light then finished. "You must understand the importance of life and death. Only then may you rest."

Salem reached out to them, but in a blink of an eye, she was suddenly placed in an empty field. She screamed and cried out in agony. Jinn explained that her cries for me fell on deaf ears, for I still slept unheeding of her cries.

_Ouch_

_I’m sorry, Salem, but you brought punishment on yourself. If I had been awake, I would have stopped my brothers from doing this to you. I would give you a punishment more suited to your actions, make you understand why it’s better to let the dead stay dead._

_A reincarnation curse, perhaps. You would always be dying over and over again, never seeing Ozma but also never truly resting in peace. You could die, but it would never stick. Not until you learned to respect the balance._

But that was neither here nor there. What's done has been done. Still, did my brothers make the right choice? Or did they create an even bigger monster?

The vision went on as Jinn continued her narration. Over the centuries, Salem kept herself in isolation. Attempting to kill herself over and over, at first to reunite with Ozma but eventually trying to spite my brothers. I was starting to worry. She was deteriorating. Finally, Salem began to plot a way to bring my brothers down.

Salem traveled from kingdom to kingdom. She challenged worriers to strike her down, demonstrating her immortality that she claimed to have stolen from my brothers. Said that they could have the same powers themselves if they turned against them.

An army marched its way onto Light's domain. He quickly rose from his pool in his dragon form. Dark appeared alongside him.

"The gods have hoped that Salem would learn from her curse.” Jinn explained. "And she did. She learned that the hearts of men are easily swayed."

Three leaders of their respective armies stood in front of their people, staring down at my brothers. When Light asked them who had brought them here, Salem took her place in front of everyone. Much to Dark's annoyance as he roars at her.

Salem launches a magical attack at him, and the other humans follow suit. Their powers did nothing as Dark simply caught them all in his claw. The magic was then absorbed into a dark sphere of energy, much to the human’s shock.

"My own gift to them...used against me,” Dark growled in annoyance. “Our Sister was wrong to trust you.” He clutched the sphere in his hand. 

My eyes widened in horror. Light just looked away. Why wasn’t he doing anything?! He needed to stop!

“Forgive me, Sister,” Dark said to himself- for a second, I could believe that he saw me, that he was speaking to me.

I ran up to them. Once again, forgetting this had already happened.

"Dark, please don't!" I cried, but it was no good.

Dark crushed the orb in his hand, and a wave of energy washed over everyone.

“NO!” I screamed. Jinn showed how far-reaching this magic was and showed all of humanity fading to ash. “NO, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

When the light faded, I looked over to find that only Salem, Light, and Dark remained in the domain. All those humans that Salem gathered were gone. 

Dark then stomps his foot in front of Salem, knocking the woman back with the resulting gust. "You thought there was no greater punishment we could bestow upon you?" He warned her. 

Salem rose unphased. "I'll come back.” She declared. "I'll tell the rest of this world of this massacre. Build a new army-"

"You don't understand.” Dark interrupted. "There is _no one_ left. You are _all_ that remains of humanity."

All of my creations. They were gone, gone without even a second’s forethought. My own request was barely acknowledged before Dark killed them all.

Why? 

WHY?

"This planet was a beautiful experiment.” Light commented.

_EXPERIMENT?! THESE WERE PRACTICALLY MY CHILDREN, AND YOU JUST DESTROYED THEM ALL!_

"But it's merely a remnant of what it once was. We will learn from this failure. Our Sister will in time, whenever she wakes, to see what has become of you. I hope that you can learn from yours." And with that, Light faded into bright dust.

Salem wasn't done with them, though. "You can't leave!" She called out to Light. "Come back!"

"Still demanding things of your creators.” Dark tsked in disappointment. He shot up into the sky and into space, shattering the moon on his way out.

Alongside Salem, I fell to my knees and cried out in pain. Salem for her defeat. Me for the loss of all that I knew that I created. Meteors from the moon crashed all around us.

I was so out of it at this point. Jinn continued explaining the story, and I could barely keep up. Everything I created...everything I worked for...my brothers just ruined it all...I barely paid attention as Salem wandered the world all by her lonesome. She was cursing everything and everyone except herself. Finally, she made her way back to Dark's domain.

In another suicide attempt, she jumped into one of Dark's pools. But instead of taking her life, it only made her worse. It was filling her with rage and destruction.

"And in time, she would find her adversary."

This time I saw Ozma standing in a white void. Much like the one Jinn placed us in at the start of her story. As he walked forward, trying to make sense of this, I heard Light call out to him. Ozma turned around to see Light in his dragon form before shifting into this humanoid form.

"Where am I?" Ozma asked him.

"We are between realms.” Light answered. "I'm afraid a tragedy has befallen your home at the hands of my brother."

"DON'T YOU DARE PIN THIS ALL ON DARK, YOU BASTARD! YOU STOOD BY AND LET THIS HAPPEN! YOU BOTH SWORE TO ME THAT YOU WOULD KEEP THE HUMANS SAFE! HOW COULD YOU TWO DO THIS? HOW COULD YOU!" My cries went unanswered. My screams were unheard. 

I could only watch and listen as Light offered Ozma a chance to return. Seriously? After all that with Salem, he now decides to break the rules we came up with and bring him back. For what?

At Ozma's confusion, Light explained. "Mankind is no more, yet your world remains. And in time, your kind will walk its face again. My Sister’s magic will ensure that. However, without our presence, they will be a fraction of what they once were."

Well, I think they're managing just fine without us. Not like you two did much, to begin with. This world now, as it is, is mostly fine. 

I should’ve known Light did something to counter Dark’s actions. If he really did kill all the people, then what about all those I met in my time? My adoptive parents, my team, those girls from before, Maria and Qrow?

Though there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Light had an ulterior motive in this. He was planning something with these humans, and with Ozma in particular. How did this tie into Oz’s secrets? It must.

Light then conjured four shadowy objects. Seeing them, I recognized the lamp. Light explained the rest as a staff of creation, a sword of destruction, and a crown of choice. The four ideals my brothers granted humanity when we created them.

"If brought together, these Relics will summon my brother and I back to your world. And Humanity will be judged." Light explained.

Okay, one: Did these two figure not to include me in this? Or did they think I would wake up after this trial and be none the wiser?

Two: Judge Humanity? And _what_ pray tell are their _expectations_?

"If your kind has learned to live in harmony with one another and set aside their differences, then we shall once again live among you, and humanity will be made whole again. But if your kind is unchanged if you demand our blessings while still fighting among yourselves, then man will be found irredeemable, and your world will be wiped from existence."

IS. HE. SERIOUS?! When I created diversity and Dark created choice, that kind of had a side effect of humans not always getting along! Light wasn't all too happy about it first, but Dark and I convinced him to let things be as this made for a nice balance between the world and the three of us. And now he's using this human as a means of making things his way! The nerve of him. And Dark's okay with this? Or does he just want to blow something up?

"Until your task is complete, you will reincarnate, but in a manner that ensures you are never alone."

Oh, yeah, sure, just take this guy’s soul, shove it into other bodies to drag them into this mess too. I honestly don't know how much more of this I can take.

To my surprise, though, Ozma refused. All he wanted was to rest forever with Salem...so Light has to admit that not _all_ of humanity is dead. He warns him that Salem is not the woman he once knew, but this doesn't deter Ozma. At hearing his love is alive, there was only one choice.

Somehow I just knew Light had planned this reaction though he looked surprised.

"Very well. Our creation rests within your hands."

"You mean _my_ creation,” I mumbled. These two no longer have a hold on them. Not if I have anything to say about it.

"And so Ozma was reborn."

The scenery then cuts to a group of people helplessly fighting against the Grimm. Ozma seemed to have joined with a young farmer man with tan skin and blond hair. When he saw a man about to die, he quickly took over and picked up a fallen sword slaying the beast. 

Ozma then went through pretty much what I went through when I woke up. Dust crystals, no magic, Grimm everywhere, the Faunus who were in cages at the time, the moon blew up. All the things I learned when I first came back, Ozma was learning it all too. Now that I think about it, did my brothers create the Faunus just to make things harder for Ozma? It wouldn’t surprise me if that were the case.

“As Ozma wandered the globe, he heard whispers of a woman known as "The Witch.” Believing her to be Salem, Ozma sought her out and was able to find her. Even though the two looked different, they were still able to recognize one another. The two recounted their tales but left individual bits out. Salem blamed the end of the world on the Gods.

_(Which wasn't entirely untrue, but she did provoke them.)_

While Ozma didn't say anything about the relics nor the task my younger brother gave him.

Jinn explained that while things seemed perfect for the two, the task set upon Ozma by Light still lingered in the back of his mind. He believed that humanity seemed more divided than ever before. Salem then hit upon the idea that they could take our place, which made me laugh. Long and hard. Since they had magical powers and could transcend death, they can make the world however they liked.

They looked the part. I’ll grant them that. I saw them crush a Nevermore like it was nothing, and they floated above the humans who started bowing to them. They amassed a following which started as their kingdom. Salem and Ozma then got busy. Even...you know... _busy—_ at least four times.

I'll admit I couldn't help but gush at seeing their daughters. They were so cute! I just love kids.

Yet, it wasn't meant to last. As Salem glanced at a crystal ball watching humans kill each other, Ozma seemed concerned. 

"You said that we needed to bring humanity together.” She told him. "In order to do that, we need to spread our word and destroy those who will deny it." No, Salem, that's not how it works. I sighed in disappointment. I thought that bringing Ozma back might just help her, but she is now beyond that point. Ozma seemed to think along the same lines.

"This isn't what he asked of me.” He admitted. Salem tried to ask what he meant by that, but the two were interrupted by one of their daughters (the eldest, I believe) showing them magic. Salem looked so proud like any mother would. Ozma still looked worried.

He then admitted to Salem what Light had set him to do. The relics, the day of judgment, everything.

Salem surprisingly took it well. "Don't you see none of that matters? Why spend our lives trying to _redeem_ these humans when we could _replace_ them with what they could never be." Okay, now she's starting to scare me. Salem offered her hand to Ozma, but he backed away in disgust. 

Later that night, he tried to sneak his daughters out of the castle, but Salem quickly found them. The two then fought, which brought down the whole castle they lived in. And destroyed their daughters.

A fight, now that I think about it, that has yet to end.

Ozma then spent the next few lives in a state of depression. Drinking, trying to forget everything, but eventually, he would return to the task he had been set out to do. He was even finding a way to live alongside the souls he had been paired with as I saw him setting out a meal for his incarnate's wife and children. 

Yet the screams outside showed that everything was still in turmoil as the village he was in fell victim to a Grimm attack. No doubt Salem's doing.

"If humanity was ever to stand a chance at being united, one thing was clear.” Jinn started, which I finished to myself.

"Salem had to be stopped."

"Knowing he could never rid the world of her through any mortal means, Ozma sought out the power of the relics." Jinn continued. A vision of Ozma tinkering with his cane came up-the same cane Oscar/Ozpin was fighting with earlier. "Armed with my knowledge, he believed he could fulfill his promise to the God of Light."

Another incarnation of Ozma retrieved the cane his previous form stored away. In a flash of cyan smoke, Ozma stood with the lamp summoning Jinn. He then asked his three questions.

"Where are the other relics?"

"What powers do they possess?"

"How do I destroy Salem?"

While I didn't hear an answer for the first two, Jinn did show her answer for the last one.

_"You can't."_

And with that, the vision ended. 

"Salem can't be killed...You all heard her too, right?" Yang asked in disbelief.

We all looked at the current Ozma. On his knees and eyes filled with tears. Yang just kept yelling at him (Stars! Did this chick have any emotion besides anger?) before Ruby stepped in.

She glared down at the boy, still being controlled by Ozma. "Professor. What _is_ your plan to beat Salem?"

"I don't have one.” He finally admitted after a long pause.

"Seriously!" I said. "All these years and-” I didn't finish as Qrow came barrelling over and punched Ozma (and, by extension Oscar) square in the face. The punch sent Oscar/Ozma twenty yards into a tree trunk. 

"No one wanted me...I was _cursed_ .” Qrow ranted in a scaringly, calm voice. “I gave _my life_ to you because I thought you _gave_ me a place in this world. I thought for once I was doing the _right thing_.”

"But you are!" Ozma tried to insist, but Qrow just ignored him.

"Meeting you was the _worst luck_ of my life."

Everyone froze, wondering what was going to happen next. Ozma was looking at Qrow in disbelief before finally looking at the snow in defeat.

"Maybe you’re right." His eyes glowed, and Oscar clenched his cheek from where Qrow punched him.

"What happened?" Ruby asked, approaching him.

"He's gone,” Oscar replied in what appeared to be disbelief.

That pissed Yang off. Again. "That _bastard_! Tell him we're not done yet!”

"No, this is different!” He tried to explain. "He’s _gone_ . It’s- it’s like he’s locked himself deep inside my head. Our head?" He grips said head in frustration. “I hate this! I want it to _stop!”_

Everyone was mad and scared. The girls and Qrow all started angrily ranting about the bombshells that were dropped on them. It was a lot to adjust to. I myself didn’t know how I felt about it- about what my brothers did to the planet, to the beings I worked so hard to create.

Finally, I shouted. "Alright, that's it!"

With everyone's attention on me, I took a deep breath to calm myself down and continued.

"Look, it's been a long day. We're all tired and angry. And I just found out more than I ever wanted to know in my life." Ain't that the truth. I wanted to know what happened when I left but this? This was too much. "However, it's going to get dark soon, and we're still in the middle of nowhere in the snow. I suggest we find some shelter that hopefully still has some food. We can’t afford another Grimm battle so soon- we’ll have calmer heads after food and rest." I suggested. 

"Finally, someone said it.” I looked to find Maria hobbled over to me. I completely forgot about her. "I found a trail over there.” She said, pointing the way out with her cane. "Trails usually lead somewhere."

Yang came up to us. "Listen, lady, _both_ of you; I don't know who you think you are, but-"

I stormed in front of Yang, glaring her down. My own anger had yet to simmer from what Dark did, from Light’s actions making everything spiral out of control in this mess. Yang almost flinched back at the rage in my eyes. “Fine. Don’t listen to us. Have fun staying still here in the cold with a Grimm magnet, starving and only adding to the negativity that brings Grimm to us in the first place!”

Yang growled. She opened her mouth to yell at me some more. I was ready to punch her. Qrow’s punch would look like a love tap!

Maria slammed her cane into the ground. The snow muffled the sound, but it was enough to stop mine and Yang's argument. "Quit it, you two!" She ordered. "I understand everyone's upset. Obviously, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that this is humanity's second time around. But if we don't get a move on, we'll die. And I'll be damned if I lived this long just to die out here in the cold." 

I chuckled at that last line. You got to love old people.

Ruby quietly agreed. At her word, the rest of her team followed suit. We finished grabbing our supplies and whatever else we could carry. Yang had Maria set up on her bike, and I slipped my headphones over my ears.

I definitely need some music after this. That was something humans did right this time. Music was always helpful in sorting out my human emotions.

When everyone was ready, we made our way down the trail that Maria pointed out earlier.

And while the lamp did answer the questions I was going to ask, there was still one floating around my head.

_Why?_

It kept repeating over and over in my mind. Why did my brothers do this? Why did they make humanity suffer for the actions of one woman? Why bring Ozma of all people back for this task?

I could ask Jinn. She still had one question. Suppose she knew the answer anyway. Yet, even if I ever found out why, there's still the matter of fixing all this- removing Salem's immortality, freeing Ozma from his deal. This whole war between these two that wound up affecting the entire world. This was something I could not do on my own. Even if I could make Salem mortal again (and that's a very big IF, no telling if Light made sure there was no other way to break her curse), there was still the matter with Ozma and the large number of Grimm.

What had Light even done to Ozma? The magic required for this...it sounded so intricate, and dare I say it _insane._ Until I figured out how it was done, there was no way to reverse it. I couldn’t remove him from Oscar right now without causing harm to the boy and his Aura. Also, while I could remove the Grimm from the surface, only Dark can remove the pools from which they spawned. So long as those pools remain then, the Grimm will just keep coming back.

I had to bring them back, but who knows where those two took off to after wiping out humanity. It could take ages to find them. And that's if they don't try to avoid me once they learn I'm looking for them. Plus, I don't want to leave the humans alone to deal with Salem. Not when there could be something I could do to help. Even if it is small. Besides...I noticed the lamp attached to Ruby's hip.

_Why look for them when I can make them come to me?_

These humans know where the relics are and how to access them. I can stick with them. Help them with Salem while I try and collect the relics to summon my brothers back. Then, once I give them a _huge_ piece of my mind, we can make things right again. Light’s bargain did include that we would help humans again. And if he tried going back on it, I would correct him and Dark in a better way.

With my new plan in mind, I continue to walk with them in slightly higher spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment. I love to hear what you guys think of this.  
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> Have a wonderful [insert December holiday here].  
> Stay awesome everyone!


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